Hair curler

ABSTRACT

A HAIR CURLER INCLUDES A PERFORATE THIN WALLED TUBULAR MANDREL AND A HAIR CLAMP WHICH INCLUDES A STIFF FIRST ARM EXTENDING ALONG THE INNER FACE OF THE MANDREL AND SPACED FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE MANDREL AND RETAINED TO THE MANDREL BY A PAIR OF LEGS PROJECTING FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE FIRST ARM AND HAVING RECESSES WHICH PERIPHERALLY SLIDABLY ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE BORDERS OF THE MANDREL. THE CLAMP ARM IS RESTRICTED AGAINST LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT AND IS PERIPHERALLY SLIDABLE ABOUT THE MANDREL. A SECOND CLAMP ARM IS SELF-HINGED TO ONE OF THE LEGS AND IS SWINGABLY BETWEEN CLOSED RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPPOSITE LEG AND AN OPEN CONDITION.

Nov. 7, 1972 N. 1.. SOLOMON HAIR CURLER Filed Feb. 9, 1972 3,702,119 HAIR CURLER Nathan L. Volomon, 'Cedar Lane, Englewood, NJ. 07631 Filed Feb. 9, 1972, Ser. No. 224,691 Int. Cl. A45d 2/14 US. Cl. 13241 B 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hair curler includes a perforate thin walled tubular mandrel and a hair clamp which includes a stiff first arm extending along the inner face of the mandrel and spaced from the opposite side of the mandrel and retained to the mandrel by a pair of legs projecting from opposite ends of the first arm and having recesses which peripherally slidably engage the opposite borders of the mandrel. The clamp arm is restricted against longitudinal movement and is peripherally slidable about the mandrel. A second clamp arm is self-hinged to one of the legs and is swingably between closed releasable engagement with the opposite leg and an open condition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to improvements in hair shaping devices and it relates particularly to an improved hair curler.

The hair curlers which have been heretofore available possess numerous drawbacks and disadvantages. They are generally of complex and bulky construction and hence expensive, unreliable, difficult and inconvenient to apply and use and uncomfortable to wear or they are of very little versatility and acceptability and are thus highly unsatisfactory. Many hair curler structures have been proposed, but these generally represent a compromise, possessing the drawbacks of the earlier conventional types and otherwise leaving much to be desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved hair curler.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair curler having means for releasably locking or clamping the hair thereto.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair curler of the type having hair clamping means adjustably positioned about. the curler.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hair curler of the above nature characterized by its reliability, low cost, ease and convenience of operation, comfort in wearing and by its great simplicity, versatility and adaptability.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved hair curler comprising a tubular mandrel having opposite peripheral end borders, and a clamp member including first and second longitudinally extending arms hinged to each other at one end thereof and provided with cooperating separably engaging connecting means at the other ends thereof, the first clamp arm longitudinally extending through the mandrel and retaining means located at opposite ends of the first clamp arm, peripherally slidably engaging the mandrel end borders and peripherally slidably retaining the first arm along the inner face of the mandrel and restricting its longitudinal movement.

United States Patent In the preferred form of the improved curler the mandrel is thin Walled and perforated and of uniform circular cross section. The inner clamp arm terminates at opposite ends with radially outwardly projecting end legs having confronting recesses slidably engaging the respective end edges of the mandrel. The outer clamp arm is connected at one end by a self hinge to the outer end of one of the legs and is provided at its free end with the free end with an enlarged head. The other end leg is provided with a longitudinal aperture communicating with the free end of the leg by a restricted throat. The outer arm enlarged head is of greater width than the leg aperture.

The improved hair curler is simple, reliable and of low cost, is easy and convenient to apply, comfortable to wear and is of great versatility and adaptability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a hair curler embodying the present invention illustrated in a partially open condition;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view taken along line 33 in FIG. 1, the clamp being shown in its closed condition; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the curler as applied to a tress of hair and shown with the clamp member in an open adjusted position ready for closing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved hair curler which consists of a cooperating hair winding body member of mandrel 11 and a hair clamping member 12. The mandrel 11 is of circular cylindrical tubular configuration of any desired diameter and length depending on the tightness and wdith of the curl to be formed and it is thin walled and integrally formed, advantageously by injection molding, if any suitable synthetic organic polymeric resin which is inexpensive, resilient and soft, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or the like. Apertures 13 are regularly formed in the wall of the mandrel 11 inwardly of the end edges thereof to aid in drying the hair, and lightness and the exterior end borders of the mandrel are advantageously knurled, as at 14 to aid in winding.

The clamp member 12 is also integrally formed as a unit by injection molding from any suitable inexpensive resilient synthetic organic polymeric resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or the like. The clamp member 12 includes an elongated inner arm 16 of rectangular transverse cross section which extends longitudinally along the inside face of the mandrel 11. The clamp arm terminates at opposite ends in radially outwardly directed first and second legs 17 and 18' respectively. The lower section 19 of leg 17 is of arcuate configuration to provide a curved recess confronting the opposite leg 18 and peripherally slidably engaging the corresponding end border of mandrel 11. Projecting outwardly from leg section 19 is an upper leg section or ear 20 having a circular aperture 21, which communicates with the end face of leg section 20 by a restricted passageway or throat 22, the inner edge of aperture 21 being disposed slightly outwardly of the outer face of mandrel 11.

The leg 18 includes a lower section 23 similar in configuration to leg section 19 and having a recess which peripherally slidably engages the corresponding end border of the mandrel 11. The opposite lower leg sec- Patented Nov. 7, 1972 tions 19 and 23 restrict the longitudinal and radial move-- ment of clamp member 12 relative to mandrel 11, while permitting its peripheral frictional movement about the mandrel. The end leg 18 terminates at its outer end in an enlarged end section 24 having a longitudinally tapered outer end portion 26.

The clamp member 12 includes an outer flexible clamp arm 27 of greater length than the mandrel 11 and extending longitudinally of the mandrel and spaced transversely from the outer face thereof. The arm 27 is of rectangular transverse cross section and includes at one end thereof an outwardly offset portion 28 with an outer face outwardly longitudinally converging toward the underface of portion '28. The clamp arms 16 and 27 are hinged to each other by a self hinge defining integrally formed section 30 of reduced thickness joining the outer tapered ends of sections 26 and 28.

The free end of clamp arm 27 is provided with an enlarged circular head 32 of greater diameter than that of aperture 21. The clamp arm 27 is of slightly greater width than that of throat 22 and the arm 27 is swingable about hinge 30 between a fully open position as shown in FIG. 4 and a closed position as shown in FIG. 3. The arm 27, immediately inwardly of head 32 may be pressed through throat 22 into and out of engagement with aperture 21 by wedging it through the throat 22 to spread the Opposite arms delineating the throat and aperture, which arms resiliently return to their initial positions upon passage of the arm 27 out of the throat 22. The enlarged head 32 prevents the longitudinal pulling of the arm 27 out of the aperture 21 and the arm 27 is prevented from inadvertent disengagement from aperture 21 when in its closed and locked condition when clamping a lock of hair about'the mandrel.

In employing the improved curler 10, the arm 27 is swung to its fully open position and a tress or lock of hair 33 of lesser width than the length of the mandrel 11 is wound about the mandrel 11 in the known manner. The clamp member 12 is then peripherally slid or adjusted about the mandrel 11 toward the inner end of the tress 33 proximate the scalp and the arm 27 is then swung into a closed position in releasably locked engagement with the locking aperture 21. When a thick tress 33 is wound on the mandrel 11, it is accommodated by the outward bowing or deformation of arm 28 whose disengagement from aperture 21 is prevented by the enlarged head 32 which permits a limited longitudinal movement of the arm 27 in the aperture 21. The curler is removed merely by opening the arm 27 and unwinding the curl from the mandrel 11.

The combination of the self-hinge and enlarged head provides great holding power regardless of the thickness of the tress. The channels on opposite sides of legs 18 and 19 allow frictional movement along the periphery of the roller, so that the clamp can be selectably positioned easily yet be held in place during use.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A hair curler comprising a tubular mandrel having opposite peripheral end borders, and a clamp memberineluding first and second longitudinally extending arms hinged to each other at one end thereof and provided with cooperating separably engageable connecting means at the other end thereof said first clamp arm longitudinally extending through said mandrel, and retaining means located at opposite ends of said first clamp arm peripherally slidably engaging said mandrel end borders and peripherally slidably retaining said first arm along the inner face of said mandrel and restricting the longitudinal movement thereof.

2. The hair curler of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprise outwardly projecting sections located at opposite ends of said arm and having confronting recesses slidably engaging said mandrel peripheral borders.

3. The hair curler of claim 2 wherein each of said recesses has radially spaced confronting inner and outer faces, said recess inner face being defined by said first arm outer face.

4. The hair curler of claim 2 wherein said clamp memher is an integrally formed unit, said second arm being self-hinged to an outer end of one of said projecting sections.

5. The hair curler of claim 2 wherein said connecting means comprises an enlarged head formed at the free end of said second arm and an ear extending from a corresponding one of said projecting sections and having an aperture formed therein with a restricted throat providing communication between said aperture and an end face of said ear.

6. The hair curler of claim 2 wherein said second arm is flexible.

7. The hair curler of claim 1 wherein apertures are formed in the Wall of said mandrel.

8. The hair curler of claim 2 wherein said mandrel peripheral borders are roughened.

9. The hair curler of claim 8 wherein said roughened peripheral edges are knurled.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1940 Laos 132-41 R 3/1969 Thackeray 13240 US. Cl. X.R. 132-4.1 C 

